Naaman Is Healed

Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

Now bands from Aram had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, 'If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.'

Naaman went to his king, who sent him to Israel with gifts of silver, gold, and fine clothing. But when the king of Israel read the letter from Aram's king, he tore his robes. 'Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of leprosy?'

When Elisha heard that the king had torn his robes, he sent this message: 'Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.'

So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to say, 'Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.'

But Naaman went away angry. 'I thought he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?'

Naaman's servants approached him. 'My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, "Wash and be cleansed"!'

So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him. And his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, 'Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.'

The great general had to humble himself, follow strange instructions, and dip in a muddy river. Pride nearly kept him from healing. But when he obeyed, the leprosy vanished, and he found not just cleansing but the true God.